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Food, family and memories are as intertwined in the South as if woven on the same thread. At any function we attend, from a party to a wedding to a funeral, we are as likely to talk as much about the food that was there, as we are about why we are gathered. ~Mary Foreman

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Monday, April 13, 2009

Layers of corn tortillas with ground beef, enchilada sauce, cheese and other delicious seasonings in a quick and easy casserole form.

Beef Enchilada Casserole

This is a quick and yummy recipe that you can throw together and have on the table in no time. It's delicious and not too spicy, though you can certainly kick that up if you want to. Believe it or not, I usually don't!

Halved recipe pictured

I do a half recipe of this for The Cajun and me and it makes what I would say is 4 very generous servings. Use the recipe as is to serve 8. Now I do confess to going a little over on the cheese - but not by much honestly, just simply because I shredded the whole remainder of the cheddar block I had and it was just over a cup, so I used it up rather than have a tiny bit left over.

Speaking of shredded cheese - I have nothing against buying pre-shredded cheese bags. I know it's a time saver and I use it myself sometimes. But something that I learned is that shredded cheeses have stabilizers and fillers in them to keep the cheese from clumping back together after the shredding process. On the other hand, a block of cheese is, well, just a block of cheese! No fillers. No stabilizers. And while I haven't worked out the cost, surely it must be cheaper to shred up a whole block of cheese, which you can then freeze if needed, than to buy it bagged as pre-shredded? Well, unless of course, you catch a good sale with an equally good coupon!

Anyway, that's one of the main reasons that I got a food processor - to make an easy job of it. Yes, it can be a pain to clean, but if you wash it right away the cracks and crevices come clean pretty easy, so it's worth it. I usually wash mine while something is cooking.

A nice mixed garden salad with some steamed green beans go really well with this dish. Enjoy!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium to medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and saute until soft. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking up the meat with a potato masher. Drain off excess fat, if needed, and return to skillet.

Add the tomato sauce, corn, enchilada sauce, chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour the chicken broth into a pie plate and dip the softened tortillas in the chicken broth, placing enough of them to cover the bottom of the pan and overlap, with some extending up the sides of the dish. Place 1/2 of the meat mixture on top of the tortillas and layer with 1/2 of the cheese. Add another layer of dipped tortillas, then meat and sprinkle with the other half of the cheese. Loosely tent with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes covered. Remove the foil and bake an additional 5 minutes. Remove and let sit for a few minutes before cutting.

Material Disclosure: Unless otherwise noted, you should assume that post links to the providers of goods and services mentioned, establish an affiliate relationship and/or other material connection and that I may be compensated when you purchase from a provider. You are never under any obligation to purchase anything when using my recipes and you should always perform due diligence before buying goods or services from anyone via the Internet or offline.

It really is very good! And ya don't have to do all that rollin' - just layer it like lasagna and you are done in no time. A lot less sloppy.

Yeah, I was surprised to learn that about the fillers and all too! I don't have any bagged stuff right now to look for ingredients but there is usually potato starch or some kind of fiber, and some type of mold inhibitors too since cheese molds faster once shredded.

Really it tastes better to me to shred it from a block. Mozzarella shreds pretty easy if you stick it in the freezer for about 5 minutes first, then shred, then freeze.

Anything with a mexican flavor is at the top of my list. Will be trying out this recipe real soon. I did not know that about packaged cheddar cheese either. I'll have to start reading labels a little closer. So if I buy the block of cheese, I can shred it and then freeze it in baggies? How long would it take a bag of cheese to thaw out and would it be clumpy after thawing? Thanks for any additional info!

Kristin, same here. I halved the recipe for us and it was PLENTY for 2 separate meals.

Angie, I totally know what you mean. I used to only buy the shredded too and still do sometimes, but I switched over to mostly the large blocks and shred as I go.

Shaylynn, yes you just freeze it in the bags right after you shred it. Sort of lay it flat, don't bunch it up, at least until it's frozen pretty good. It doesn't take but a few minutes out on the counter to thaw - just depends on how you package it. If you do a large bag, you might have to whack it on the counter to separate it. Course I tend to keep a block or two in the meat drawer and then shred it as I go here lately, so it doesn't make it to the freezer much LOL!

Made this tonight! My family RAVED! I added alittle garlic as I do to everything LOL but otherwise followed the recipe as written. Thank you for such an amazing recipe-it's going to be part of the regular rotation from now on as well as my go to for pot lucks!! I was afraid it was too watery at first..but the tortillas absorb just the right amount to keep it moist but easy to serve!

Hi Mary, I follow you on Facebook, and I must tell ya, your recipes are awesome! I've made several and Pinned several, and my family and I love them! I don't have to change up anything or add anything to your recipes because they are great and full of flavor as is! Thank you for being my go to for dinner many nights!! Keep cooking and keep posting!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE almost all of your recipes. But the problem I have is this: most all casseroles are TOO Big. It is only myself and hubby and he does NOT eat leftovers. Any clues how to make them smaller?

Thanks Gina! I write my recipes for family size of 4 to 6 servings but the casserole pictured above is actually a half recipe! You'll find that you can do that with most of the 9 x 13 inch or 2 quart casseroles. Simply use half of the stated ingredients!

I've never liked pre-shredded cheese. Has a different taste and doesn't even melt the way it's supposed to. The filler is cellulose powder and it is derived from wood. It really doesn't take that much time to grate some cheese even if you're in a rush. Love the recipe and it's one of my regulars now. Thanks

I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying the casserole & thanks so much for letting me know! I don't mind the bags of shredded cheese for convenience sake, but I almost always use the blocks. It really does make a difference in many dishes!

Kandy I haven't tried this in the freezer, and I'm trying to remember back to my OAMC days if we did a similar casserole. I think it would do well but I can't attest to it from experience. I'd do it in two 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pans, prepare one and freeze the other uncooked. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking as above. Let us know if you give it a try!

You're very welcome! It's a great weekend night casserole that's gives the taste of enchiladas but with a little less work. I'm so glad that your family enjoyed it & really appreciate you taking the time to stop back by to let me know!

Has anybody tried it with mozzarella cheese to? I'm making this for dinner tonight!! I first time making enchilada casserole. (: I read a comment she added garlic I'm thinking of doing the same since we add garlic to almost everything! Lol

Hi Kat! Thanks so much - I appreciate your kind comment!! Yes, flour would work fine. I use those in my burrito skillet meal! They are softer than the corn of course, but they are both soft and I think they're fairly interchangeable.

Thanks for taking the time to comment - I love hearing from readers and I read every single comment and try to respond to them right here on the site, so stop back by!

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